(1) Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is the temperature control of computer components; more specifically, the present invention is related to a method and apparatus for controlling the temperature of core logic components including a memory controller.
(2) Related Art
Each computer system component typically has a corresponding thermal specification which defines the maximum temperature at which a component will likely break down or slow down to cause system failure.
In the prior art approach, device die temperature is measured in terms of voltage variations that reflect temperature changes. The voltage levels are converted to a digital signal that is compared to a pre-determined threshold. When the threshold is exceeded, an interrupt signal is generated to the central processing unit (CPU) which handles the high temperature condition in software.
Many disadvantages are inherent in the prior art approach. For example, the prior art approach is expensive as it requires analog circuitry which requires a high amount of tuning to provide accurate and reliable temperature signals. Further, handling the complexity of analog circuitry requires a long product development period. Finally, the prior art approach utilizes hardware to directly detect the thermal condition but relies on software to actually prevent the thermal violation. The prior approach is therefore exposed to security violations by, for example, virus programs.
It is therefore desirable to have a mechanism which overcomes the above stated disadvantages of the prior art approach and provides a less expensive, easier to calibrate alternative to controlling the temperature of core logic components.